Last week, I wrote about Leathia Pearl Moore Boyd and one of her sons, William “Bill” Boyd who was killed by lightning on June 22, 1910. Sadly, this was not the only tragedy that occurred that hot summer day.
The following is an excerpt of an account that was published in the Mountain Laurel in June of 1985; the author signed his recollection YKW (You Know Who). “On the hot muggy morning of June 22, 1910, my father rose early and prepared to make his rounds of delivering the mail on what was then Route 2 in Floyd County. Dad had completed the first half of his route and was only a few hundred yards beyond the Bill Boyd place [located on what is now state road 609 in Patrick County], when he saw a huge streak of lightning come down to earth and felt the stinging sensation its nearness brought. His horse was visibly frightened and nickered excitedly but kept going. A few hundred yards further on, he came upon the Boyd family gathered around the body of Bill Boyd. It seems they had all been hoeing corn and while all the others made it to the house, Bill himself sought shelter from the rain under a big tree between the road and the house. The bolt of lightning was drawn to the tree and killed Bill Boyd instantly. Dad did what little he could to console the family and get the body indoors and then continued sorrowfully on his appointed round. As he neared the post office at Meadows of Dan, he overtook a small group of men carrying the body of young Eric West, a fine young lad of only 17 who had also been struck while hoeing corn and killed by lightning from those same clouds. Dad was deeply shocked by this double tragedy occurring so close together right on his mail route. It must have been an ordeal for him to make that same round again with summer storms occurring frequently, but if he was scared, he never mentioned it. Dad had hired Charlie West, Eric’s father, along with some other “hands” to put a new roof on our house. I was not quite six years old at the time, but I can still recall with sadness that some men came to tell Charlie West that his son had been killed and how shocked he looked as he scrambled down the ladder to hurry home to his family.”
Charlie William West was born on the 27th of February 1869 to Wilson Jackson West and Susan Ann Massey of the Meadows of Dan area. Charlie married Miss Cora Dell Hylton on March 12, 1891, in Patrick County. Cora was the daughter of Levi Hylton and Lou Anna Pratt of Floyd County, Virginia. Charlie and Cora set up housekeeping in Meadows of Dan and in December of 1891, their first child, Zebrum Claude West was born.
Zebrum married Miss Lillie Effie Keith of Floyd County on the 27th of January 1915. Zebrum and Lillie raised at least seven children in the Willis community of Floyd; the couple are buried at the Topeco Church Cemetery.
James Eric West was the next child born to Charlie and Cora on the 2nd of March 1893. After his tragic death, James was buried at the Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mary Ticia was the third child born to Charlie and Cora; “Ticie” arrived on the 25th of April 1894. Ticie married recently widowed Joseph Franklin Hall in 1928. Joseph had lost his first wife, Nora Cruise in the previous year of 1927. Ticie helped raise Joseph and Nora’s three surviving daughters, Edna, Myrtle, and Claudine. Little Irene had passed away from diphtheria in 1922 when she was 18 months old. Ticie and Joseph had one son, Buren. Joseph and Ticie are buried at Mountain View Methodist Church Cemetery.
Charlie and Cora’s fourth child, Solomon Nicholas West was born on the 2nd of December 1895. Solomon fought with the 329th Infantry Division during World War I. Upon his return, Solomon married Miss Lena Gray Withrow on the 4th of June 1919 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. Solomon passed away in April of 1955 and was buried at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Retta Mae West was the next child born to Charlie and Cora; “Retty” was born on the 17th of January 1897. Retty married Joseph Green Cochran on the 15th of November 1916 and the couple had at least six children. Retty and Joseph were also buried at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Charlie and Cora’s sixth child was Andrew Bennett West, born on the 11th of November 1898. Andrew married Miss Lizzie Emma Hall in 1919 and they also had at least six children. Tragically, Lizzie was lost to cancer at the age of 39 and was buried at the Paul DeHart Cemetery. Andrew passed away 27 years later and was buried at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Susan Ruth West was born to Charlie and Cora on the 10th of April 1900. “Ruth” married Frank Dewey Walker, Sr. from the Lone Ivy community on the 27th of October 1920. Ruth and Frank raised four children in Woolwine; the couple were buried at Sycamore Baptist Church Cemetery.
Bertie Ann West was born on the 21st of November 1901; she was the eighth child of Charlie and Cora. Bertie married George McKinley Hubbard on the 29th of December 1920. The couple raised ten children in the Mountain View community and at their passing, Bertie and George were buried at the Henry Hubbard Cemetery.
Wilson Cline West, Charlie and Cora’s ninth child was born on the 9th of November 1903. Wilson married Miss Ora Jett of the Slate Mountain community of Floyd on the 30th of June 1926. Wilson and Ora raised two children in Cave Spring where Wilson worked in a silk mill. Wilson passed away of a heart attack in 1954 and Ora passed away 41 years later in 1995; they were buried at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Flossie Cora, child #10 was born on the 25th of June 1905. Flossie married Alvin Carmel Hylton from the Burks Fork district of Floyd on the 30th of March 1929. Flossie and Alvin raised their four sons in Page County, Virginia.
Charlie and Cora’s eleventh child, Levi Charles West, was born on the 2nd of June 1907. Levi married widow Nova Belle Underwood Thomas from Willis on the 3rd of December 1948. Nova’s first husband, Elmer Worth Thomas, Sr. had been wounded in battle in Belgium and succumbed to his injuries on the 18th of December 1944. Technician 5th grade Elmer Thomas was buried in the American cemetery at Henri-Chapelle, Arrondissement de Verviers, Liège, Belgium. Elmer and Nova’s son, Elmer, Jr. was only 9 months old when his father passed away. Levi and Nova Belle are buried at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Joseph Vernon West was born to Charlie and Cora on the 15th of December 1909. Twelve-year-old Joseph died of diphtheria on the 20th of October 1921. According to his death certificate, Joseph was buried in the Lawson Cemetery, but I believe that Joseph was actually buried at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery with so many of his family members.
Virginia Eloise West was born the 26th of October 1911, sixteenth months after 17-year-old brother, James Eric West was killed by lightning. In the 1940 census, Virginia’s occupation was listed as a “yokeing” at a shirt factory. I am guessing it was the shirt factory at Floyd, but I am not for certain. On the 6th of July 1947, Virginia married widower Gerald Randolph Reynolds, an electrician and power plant operator for the City of Danville (Kibler Valley) and helped him raise his three little boys. Virginia and Gerald were also buried at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Charlie and Cora’s 14th and last child was Eva Lea West, born on the 23rd of August 1914. Eva married Thomas Pinkney “Cap” Ayers on the 23rd of December 1937. Eva and Cap raised their children in Meadows of Dan and were buried at the cemetery there too.
Charlie West passed away on the first of January 1952 at the age of 82 and Cora Dell passed away eleven years later, at the age of 89, on the 23rd of January 1963; both were laid to rest at Meadows of Dan Baptist Church Cemetery.
Woody may be reached at rockcastlecreek1@gmail.com or (276) 692-9626.
